Washing apparatus.



Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. CONNOR. WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1911.

gum/Moan 6 6079 71 6 07372072 G. W. CONNOR.

WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1911.

1,034,206. Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

July 25,1911.

noaa'aoe.

\ GEORGE W. CONNOR, 0F BEARWALLOW, NORTH CAROTIINA.

wnsnrne APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1911; Serial No. 650,876. Q

To all whom it may concern: 4

- Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CONNOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bearwallow, in the county of Henderson and State of NorthCarolina, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Washing Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing apparatus and particularly to animprovement over my prior Patent Number 999,096, dated One object of theinvention is to provide means for promoting the circulation of steam,suds and hot water through or over the articles to be washed and therebyefi'ect thei rapid and thorough cleaning of the artic es.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filtering agent whichwill be disposed in the circulating path of the water to collect fromthe water the dirt or foreign matter and thereby prevent such matterfrom escaping into the suds or cleaning chamber of the apparatus duringthe boiling or washing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide washing apparatus whichwill be constructed so as to permit of its being thoroughly cleaned andsterilized.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a water sealedtrap separatingthe communicating water circulating com partments fromeach other and valved means in the trap to permit of the initialdischarge or escape of'the steam from the suds chamber to the outsideair when it is desired to remove the covering from the suds chamber andthereby prevent the hot water 'or steam from coming in direct contactwith the operator when removing the top.

In the drawings, forming a portion of. this specification and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views:Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken on line 2'2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View similarto- Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the invention.

. In the preferred embodiment of the invention which is disclosed inFigs. 1 and 2 of the hereunto annexed drawings, the apparatus comprisesa receptacle 1 which is pro vided with a main bottom 2 and asupplemental bottom 3, the bottoms 2 and 3 being spaced from each otherto form an intervening lower circulating chamber 4. A vertical partition5 divides the receptacle into a suds chamber 6 and a chamber 7. The top8 of the suds chamber is extended Patented July30;1912.

beyond the partition 5, as at 9, and then downwardly, at 10, so as todefine a trap 11- in the compartment 7. The portion 10 of the trap isprovided with a vertical series of passages 12 and movable across thepassages and mounted in the guides 13 on the portion 10 is a valve orregulating plate 14. This plate is provided at its upper end with a ringor manipulating ortion 15 by means of which the plate can e moved to.open or close the openings 12.

The suds chamber 6 of the apparatus is provided therein with verticalpartitions 16 which, in elfect, form baflles for a purpose to behereinafter described. These baffles extend across the corners of thesuds cham her and they are arranged or disposed with relation to thewalls of the suds chamber to define therewith auxiliary compartments 17.

Each baffle-forming partition is provided therein with an opening 18 bymeans of which communication between the auxiliary compartments and thesuds chamber is established.

The front wall 19 of the receptacle 1 extends downwardly and forwardlyand it is continued into the front wall of a transverse trough 20 atthebottom of the receptacle.

ber 4, as shown at 22. Similar pipes 23 connect-the trough QO WllZh theauxiliary compartments 17. The front of the supplemental bottom 3 isspaced, at 24, from the front wall 19 of the washing receptacle so.-

that communication will be established between the space 4 and thecompartment 7.

A filtering element 25 is disposed in the cir oulating course of theboiling Water, and as. shown, this element extends entirely across thereceptacle and is disposed in the compartment 7 at a point above theopening 24 or communicating space between the com partment 7 and thespace 4.

The side walls 26 and the end wall 27 are extended upwardly above thetop 8 so as .to form an effective guard flange around the fillingopening 28 of the receptacle 1. This construction is such that any wateraccumulatin'g upon the top 8 will be free to pass downwardly andforwardly in the direction of the compartment 7 where it will bedischarged." The opening 28 is provided with a removable cover 29. Thiscover has secured thereto a curved handle 30 by means of-which the covercan be readily -removed from or inserted into the opening. With a viewof preventing the cover from accidentally opening during the boilingoperation, I provide a bail 31. This bail is pivoted to the side wallsof the receptacle 1 and it is so constructed that it may be adjusted tocause its portions'32 to be disposed immediately above the handle 30 butsufliciently in contact therewith to hold the cover tight in theopening. The supplemental bottom 3 is provided with one or more passages33, whereby the proper communication between the suds chamber and thespace 4 is made.

In operation, water is placed in the receptacle so that the lower openend 34 of the trap 11 will be sealed by that water in the compartment 7.The apparatus is then placed upon a stove or furnace and arrangedthereon so that the bottom of the receptacle will extend upwardly andrearwardly at an angle from the front of the stove so that the bottompresents a very large heating sur: face. Now, incident to the fact thatthe Water will be confined in the suds -chamber 6, it will obviouslyappear that this water at all times remains hotter than the water in thecompartment 7. When the water, reaches the boiling point the steam willbe discharged upwardly'through the supplemental bottom and into the sudschamber and also into the subcompartments 17. As previously stated, thepartitions 16 of the subcompartments form baflies or deflectors 40 andincident thereto the steam and hot water entering such compartment willbe forced into the suds compartment. The water agitated during theboiling process and disturbed incident to the peculiar discharge of thewater from the subcompartments into ing 35, forcing the water in thecompart the suds chamber will describe substantially a circulatory path.The hot water as it rises to the surface will be discharged into thetrap 11 by way of the foraminous coverinent 7 through the filteringagent 25 and then back through the space 4 and'the pipes 21 and 23,thereby completing a continuous circulation of the water. It will ofcourse be understood that the clothes or articles to be.

" carried into the chamber 7 with the water in its circulation will becollected and posit ively retained by the filtering agent. When it is(desired to remove the washed clothesor articles from the suds chamberit is de' sirable, with a view of preventing one from being scalded bythe steam to adjust the valve plate 14 to either a partly or full openposition. suds chamber to escape through the trap 11 and to the outsideatmosphere. The cover 29 can thenbe removed without liability of theoperator being injured through the steam or scalding water which mightotherwise be forced from the apparatus. The form of the washingapparatus described in the foregoing is designed desirably for use as aclothes 'washer, it being obviously understood, however, that I do notdesire to limit myself to such use as such structure'is very capable ofinnumerable obvious uses.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is shown areceptacle 51.

The configuration of this receptacle is sub-.

stantially the same as the receptacle described in the form of theinvention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this form the suds chamber isprovided with a bafile 52 of circular configuration. This battle isarranged with respect to the corners of the su'ds chamber so as to formtherewith the subchambers or compartments 53 which are similar to thecompartments l7 hereinbefore described. Openings 54 in the baflie 52establish communication between the suds chamber and the subcompartments53. The compartment 55 is similar to the compartment 7 and the trap 56is also similar to the trap 11, therefore it is believed that furtherdetailed description is unnecessary. In each form of the invention thereceptacle is provided with one or more suitable draw-offs 57, wherebythe dirty water can be drained from the apparatus. While the member 25is employed principally for the purpose of purifying the circulatingwater it will also assist admirably in preventing grease or likesubstances from clogging the openings 33 in the supplemental bottom ofthe receptacle.

I claim,:

1. Washing apparatus comprising a re ceptacle having communicatingcompartments therein, a supplemental bottom spaced from the main bottomof the receptacle and defining therewith a longitudinally disposedcirculating chamber which opens at one end into one of the compartmentsand which also opens vertically intermediate of its ends into the othercompartment, and subcompartments opening at their lower ends into thesaid circulating chamber of the receptacle and opening radially into oneof the first compartments.

2. Washing apparatus comprising a receptacle having a suds chambertherein, the said receptacle being provided, in 0 en communication withthe said suds cham er, with a second chamber, and a trap in the secondchamber adapted to be closed by the water in said second chamber, andprovided with This permits the steam in the a valve adapted to beoperated to establish communication between the outside air and the saidsuds chamber.

3. Washing apparatus comprising a receptacle having a suds chambertherein, the said receptacle being provided, in open communication withthe said suds chamber, with a second chamber having an open upper end, atrap in the second chamber chamber, a trap inthe second chamber adaptedto be closed by the water in said second chamber and having a foraminousside a valve slidably engaged against the said foraminous side, and asupplemental bottom spaced from' the main bottom of the receptacle anddefining therewith a longitudinal water circulating space which opensvertically into the first chamber and which also opens at one end intothe second chamber.

5. Washing apparatuscomprising a receptacle having a suds chambertherein, the said receptacle being provided in open communication withthe said suds chamber, with a second chamber, a trap in the secondchamber adapted to be closed by the water in said second chamber, asupplemental bottom spaced from the main bottomof'the receptacle anddefining-therewith a longitudinal water circulating space .which opensvertically into the first chamber and which also opens at one end intothe second chamber, and a filtering member disposed in the watercirculating course between the first and second chambers and thelongitudinal circulating space.

6. Washing apparatus comprising a receptacle having a suds chambertherein, the said receptacle being provided, in open communication withthe said suds chamber, with a second chamber, a trap in the secondchamber adapted to be closed by the water receptacle and definingtherewith a longitudinal water circulating space which opens verticallyinto the first chamber and which also opens at one end in the secondchamber, a filtering member disposed in the water circulating coursebetween the first and second chambers and the longitudinal corculatingspace, and compartments opening ra- I dially into the first chamber andopening vertically onto the main bottom of the receptacle. a

7. Washing apparatus comprising a receptacle including a suds chamberand a trapping chamber, aremovable closure for the suds chamber the saidchambers being arranged in openicommunication and the trapping chamberhaving a foraminous p03- tion, and a valve movable across the toraminousportion, whereby the trapping chamber can be arranged in open commun1--cation with the outside air to permit of the initial discharge of thesteam from the. apparatus prior to the removal of the said cover fromthe suds chamber.

8. Washing apparatus comprising a receptacle having suds and trappingchambers respectively, the said chambers being arranged in horizontaland vertical com- -munication with each other, a trough disbeneaththereceptacle and opening into the, trapping chamber, compartmentslocated'm the suds chamber and opening radially thereinto, and pipesextending from the.

trough and having discharge ends disposed beneath the compartments andtrapping chamber respectively.

' In testimony whereof I afii my signature in presence of twowitnesses.v

GEORGE W. CONNOR.

Witnesses JAMEs Ko'EH BENNETT S. J ONES.

